Sam Houston spoils LA Tech home finale

RUSTON – Four turnovers and the inability to get off the field on third down played key roles in Louisiana Tech falling, 42-27, to Sam Houston on Saturday afternoon in the final home game of the season inside Joe Aillet Stadium.

LA Tech (3-8, 2-5 CUSA) had four total fumbles, two of which were recovered by Sam Houston (2-8, 1-5 CUSA). Then with the Bulldogs trying to make a last-ditch effort to tie the game late, the Bearkats sealed it with a pick-six (plus another interception). On the flipside, the Bulldog defense struggled to stop the Bearkats on third down as the visiting team converted 9-of-15 third downs.

Faced with its first third down on the opening drive, Sam Houston’s Keegan Shoemaker found Jax Sherrard for a 17-yard gain. Two plays later, Adrian Murdaugh took a handoff 48 yards for a touchdown.

LA Tech ended up playing from behind the entire game.

The Bulldogs managed just a pair of field goals – 53-yarder by Buck Buchanan and a 32-yarder by Jacob Barnes – in the first half, trailing, 14-6, at intermission. (The Bulldogs were half a yard from being down only 14-13, but Charvis Thornton was stripped of the ball right behind crossing the goal line on a 47-yard rush)

Getting the ball first in the second half, Cyrus Allen, who had a career-high 155 receiving yards, ended up being stripped of the football after catching one of his seven receptions. Sam Houston moved the chain twice when facing third down, including an 8-yard grab in the corner of the end zone to put LA Tech behind, 21-6.

The ‘Dogs finally found the end zone though on their next drive after converting their first third down of the day when Hank Bachmeier connected with Tru Edwards for a 15-yard grab. Keith Willis Jr. capped off the 9-play drive with a 5-yard rushing touchdown up the middle with 6:41 to play in the third quarter.

The Bearkats quickly countered, needing just three plays to put the Bulldogs down by 15 points again – 38-yard completion, 16-yard rush, and 21-yard rushing score.

The high-scoring affair continued with LA Tech using some trickery, a 35-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Maxwell to Allen, to make it 28-20. After getting a defensive stop early in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs had the chance to tie the game up. However, they were stuffed on fourth down around midfield. Sam Houston immediately got in the red zone with a 44-yard reception, ultimately pounding the ball into the end zone from 1-yard out.

The ‘Dogs managed to convert two big fourth downs on their next drive to keep their hopes alive with Willis Jr. barely crossing the goal line for his second TD, making it 35-27 with 5:04 to go. They got the ball back with 2:42 still to go and a quick strike to Maxwell for 33 yards moved the chains, but Bachmeier’s pass under duress on the very next play resulted in a 45-yard pick six by the Bearkats.

LA Tech ended up outgaining Sam Houston, 524-424, with most of its damage done through the air as Bachmeier threw for a season-high 384 yards.

NOTABLES
With the loss, LA Tech now leads the all-time series versus Sam Houston, 2-1-1.
Hank Bachmeier threw a season-high 384 passing yards, the third time this season with 300+ in a single game.
Cyrus Allen hauled in a career-high 155 receiving yards, the third time this season with 100+ in a single game. It tied for the most receiving yards by a Bulldog this season.
Smoke Harris extended his streak of games with at least one reception to 43. He caught seven passes, bringing his career total to 299.
Keith Willis Jr. registered two rushing touchdowns, his third multi-TD game of the season.
Smoke Harris had 23 punt return yards, bringing his career total to a program-best 818. He is the only Bulldog in program history with 800+ punt return yards.
Buck Buchanan hit a career-long 53-yard field goal.It tied for the fifth longest made field goal in program history and the longest since 2017.
Jeslord Boateng and Jessie Evans had a team-high nine tackles. It was a season high for both Bulldogs.
QUOTABLES
Head coach Sonny Cumbie

Opening Statement…
“Another long tough loss in a line of a lot of them we have had this season. We didn’t play well on offense in terms of taking care of the football. We had some bizarre turnovers tonight. We didn’t get off the field well enough on third down on defense. That really sums it up in terms of stopping their drives. We had good rhythm on offense in the second half. Special teams, Demarcus gave us a chance in a couple of the returns. The punter never gave us an opportunity to affect the game. Just didn’t play well enough in the first half. In this conference, if you look at the win loss record and make up your mind on Monday and you are basing it off of their record, you will be mistaken yourself. Four of their five looses have been by one score. The team we play next week is 7-2 and they had them beat until the last two-point conversion of the game. Sam Houston has good players.”

On the turnover margin…
“Momentum is a huge thing in football. We had a hard time in creating momentum and keeping it. When you turn the football over like we did, your not going to have many opportunities to win games no matter who your playing against and where your playing at. We didn’t protect the football well enough and the situation and the momentum. The touchdown was taken off the board, that’s a huge swing in momentum and huge swing in points. You have the drive to start the second half, you make a good throw, the progression, miss a tackle, moving up field, your going to have an explosive play and the ball is taken away from you. Not creating any and having it taken away four times, that’s a recipe to getting beat.”

Jeslord Boateng

On the 28 points being scored in the second half…
“Everything they were doing we saw in practice and we just weren’t executing to the best of our abilities. That was really the deal out there today.”

On the momentum shifts from the turnovers…
“It definitely affected the game it their offense life. Their offense is a real gritty team. They keep going at it and that’s why they came out with the win.”

On Sam Houston having 100 yards of rushing offense…
“Their offensive line played their tails off today. On our part we weren’t executing and won’t discipline on our assignments. That’s why the run game was really effected today.”

Cyrus Allen

On what their secondary was doing throughout the game…
“We watched film and knew the coverages that we were practicing every week and kind of expected it.”

On the trick play that he scored on…
“It was big. I knew I was going to make the play. We kind of executed it at practice but it didn’t work how we drew it up but it was a great play.”

On making the big play after the unsportsmanlike penalty..

“It was good, I had a rough start and the offense too.”

UP NEXT
LA Tech closes out the 2023 season on Saturday, Nov. 18 when they travel to face Jacksonville State. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on ESPN+.